DALLAS, TX (TIP): Sejal Desai, an Indian American business and community leader from Texas has been appointed the new Executive Director of Akanksha Education Fund to promote educational opportunities for disadvantaged children in India. “The Akanksha Education Fund is thrilled to announce that Sejal Desai, of Dallas, Texas, will be the new Executive Director of the Akanksha Education Fund,” the not-for-profit organization’s Board of Directors said in a message Wednesday.

Sejal has had an incredible 30-year career and joins the Akanksha family most recently from the Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT), where she led a strategic initiative focused on engaging businesses in the community, according to a media release.

At CFT she worked with over 400 companies and also supported many individual donors with their philanthropic giving and engagement.

Among other career highlights, she also started a US-India based social venture, SevaYatra, with one of Akanksha’s long-time friends, Azad Oommen.

“As a business and community leader in Dallas, Sejal and her family will continue living there but she plans to travel regularly to be with the AEF team and engage with our supporters,” the message from the board said. She lived in Mumbai for almost 20 years and has strong family and professional ties there.

Ramesh Srinivasan, AEF’s Board Chair noted that Sejal’s combined roots in Dallas and Mumbai are perfect for this moment in AEF’s growth.

“This is an exciting venture for all of us, as our future outreach depends in part on growing our presence well beyond the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area. We have some terrific seeds planted already and Sejal is poised to make them grow!”

“I am excited to embark on this new chapter in my life and work together with individuals, corporates and foundations across the US to advance educational outcomes for underserved children in India,” said Desai.